Grants

DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (BRC) assists local governments and recreation and conservation organizations with funding for projects related to parks, recreation, planning, and conservation. Applications for DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants are accepted once a year, typically during the spring. Grants also support regional and statewide partnerships that build capacity to better develop and manage resources.

Tutorial videos: 

• Walkthrough of the grant application 
• 2023 grant workshop video series (additional project information)

Before starting your grant application, contact your DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation regional advisor for advice on making your project as competitive as possible for funding.

The County Recycling Coordinator Grants outlined in Section 903 provide a 50 percent reimbursement for County Recycling Coordinators’ salary and expenses. This grant is only available to Pennsylvania county governments.

Application Dates for Calendar Year 2022:

Opens – January 2, 2023
Closes – May 1, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

This pilot project is an approach to providing funding for urgent, unforeseen situations on designated water trails that impede or impair access, create unsafe conditions/ safety concerns for paddlers or others who want to access the water trail, affect safe ingress/egress from the water trail, etc.

Such situations could include, but are not limited to,

• Storm-induced scouring, flooding, debris impoundments that severely impact navigation.
• Fallen trees or other large obstructions caused by a storm or other event that will prohibit or severely impact an imminent sojourn, paddle fest, race, etc. 
• A situation where there is a major in-water litter/trash issue immediately prior to a planned community event, paddle, race, etc.
• A situation in which an access improvement/ enhancement project was funded and is almost complete, but an unforeseen event or situation threatens to prevent the project from being completed without a small infusion of extra funding.
• The destruction of a safety or wayfinding sign at an access point, if the sign was critical to orienting paddlers or providing critical information about a river hazard, portage, dam, 

In short, the situation must be caused by an “unanticipated” event, or one that could not be reasonably planned for. A known ongoing situation that was simply not addressed in time would not qualify. This funding should be viewed as a “last resort.” 

If the applicant is not the Water Trail Manager, applicant must contact the Water Trail Manager before applying to this funding. Additional, all applicants must contact one of the Water Trail Program Partners at PEC, DCNR or PFBC prior to applying.

Through the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Program, farmers, landowner, and businesses earn tax credits for implementing "Best Management Practices" (BMPs) that will enhance farm production and protect natural resources. REAP is a first-come, first-served program that enables farmers, businesses, and landowners to earn PA income tax credits to offset the cost of implementing conservation practices.  Tax credits provided by the REAP program helps farmers off-set the costs of implementing best management practices (BMPs) that benefit their farms and work to protect water quality at the same time.

REAP provides funding at levels of 50% - 90% of costs incurred in the implementation of BMPs that reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution.

• Projects eligible for 50% reimbursement: no-till planting equipment; precision nutrient application equipment; manure storage structures; cover crops; grazing practices; forested riparian buffers; others
• Projects eligible for 75% reimbursement: BMPs that reduce pollution runoff from animal concentration areas; Nutrient/Manure Management Plans; Conservation/Ag E&S Plans; others
• Projects eligible for 90% reimbursement (In a TMDL designated watershed) - multi-species cover crops; forested riparian buffers (50+ ft wide); livestock exclusion from streams and associated practices; others

Applications are accepting beginning on the first Monday in August of each calendar year.